


Tradition

by therosystarling



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, cuteness, snowy night fics are my favorite trope fight me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 11:09:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16763962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therosystarling/pseuds/therosystarling
Summary: It's snowing in Hawkins, and it's Mike's turn to shovel.





	Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> (just mild language ahead is all.)

Mike hadn't noticed how hard it was snowing outside until Nancy had come down the stairs to tell him his parents weren't coming home that night. He had been working on homework that cold Sunday night in his fort, walkie-talkie in hand to go over answrrs to the guys (well, and now Max) when she had interrupted him.

"That was mom and dad on the phone. Snow's too bad for them to come back from that holiday party, even just across town. It's their friend and they have a spare room, so they're staying. I'll call grandma and grandpa and make sure they have everything for Holly since mom and dad were going to drop off a couple things since she's staying with them."

Mike blinked at her. "What? What snow?"

"Oh, my God. Mike, you dipshit, look outside for once."

"Shut up. Like you've been paying attention, sucking face with Jonathan upstairs," he grumbled, climbing out of the fort and peering out the window. Fat, fluffy flakes littered the landscape outdoors, covering the streets and all the lawns with snow. "Maybe school will be closed tomorrow?"

"I don't even get why we're going tomorrow," Nancy sighed, peering out with him. "Tomorrow's Christmas Eve. All everyone will do is watch movies and wait until the principal makes his 'surprise announcement' that school is closing early, like he does every year." She turned to Mike and grinned. "By the way? It's your turn to shovel outside."

"No way! It's definitely yours!"

"Mmm, no, I took two of your turns last week for you, when you and your friends took off to see your girlfriend at Hopper's," she smirked.

"Ew! It's not like that! She's not my girlfriend!" Mike reddened a little, turning away from her and making his way back to his fort.

"Sure, wastoid. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Still your turn to shovel."

Mike groaned. "Fine. I'll go out after I finish up my Math homework, okay?"

"As long as you do it. And make sure the path from the driveway to the front steps is wide enough. Dad'll have a coronary if he gets his new boots too wet." She rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Does he not realize that's what boots are _for?_ "

"You know him. Just get it done, alright?"

Mike smiled. "That what you've been saying to Jonathan upstairs?"

Nancy huffed, stomping towards the stairs. "You're disgusting," she yelled over her shoulder as she reached the top.

"Same to you," Mike called back, eyes back to his textbook as he looked over his last couple of problems. He hit the button on his walkie. "Guys, I got three as the answer to number eight. You?"

A crackle, and then Dustin. "You got three? I got Mississippi."

"Dude, are you on History problems? We're on Math now!"

"Since when?"

Another voice broke in. Lucas. "Since the last ten minutes, you doof!"

"Hey, I've...been done with Math," Will cut in. "Is it cool if I start doing my art project?"

"Son of a bitch," Dustin complained. "We really have to start clarifying what subject we're doing."

"We have been," Max frustratingly yelled through. "We started with Science like an hour ago! Remember? Then we moved to Health, then History, then Math!"

Mike rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "Guys. Guys! Look, I'm finishing up the last problems in Math, then I have to go shovel because my parents are stuck at some Christmas party. You guys can decide what subject you need to do while I'm gone, deal?" A chorus of 'yeps' and 'fine' came through, and after a beat, Lucas's voice chimed in.

"Mike, you're taking the walkie-talkie with you...right?"

Mike swallowed hard. It had been an unspoken rule the last couple of months for everyone to carry one with them from now on, even to school to hide in their lockers. With everything that had happened in just over a year, no one knew what could be lurking behind a corner, and it simply felt safer to have help a click away. "Of course," Mike answered. "Over and out." He set the device down next to him and breezed through the rest of his Math problems, closing his book in triumph. Re-grabbing the walkie-talkie, he slid his way out of the fort and stretched, wrinkling his nose at the window, watching the snow still coming down. Out of all the chores, shovelling was his least favorite, only comparable to raking in the Fall. He begrudgingly walked himself upstairs, and made his way to the entrance of his house, grabbing his winter gear and sliding it on. Mike could hear soft music playing from upstairs, Nancy snug in her room with Jonathan. "Lucky," he uttered bitterly, wrapping his scarf around him. He patted his pocket to double check the walkie-talkie was snugly in there, and opened the door cautiously and peeked outside. Good. The shovel was still on the front step. Exiting and then closing the door behind him, Mike instantly shivered. At least it wasn't windy outside.

A relieving breath escaped his lips when the shovel first the snow-it was light, fluffy, and soft snow. He'd be done making a path and clearing the driveway in no time. His mind began to wander as he scraped along, everything from what he left to do for homework to if his parents were alright at that holiday party. Then that began thinking about Christmas-and El. If the present he got for El was good enough.

Since they discovered she had returned, Hopper had reluctantly and cautiously agreed to start letting people over to visit, only a couple of times a week and never alone as a safety precaution for the time being. But for Mike, it was everything. (It also hadn't hurt that they set up a secret channel to talk to each other over walkie-talkies.) He smiled at the memory of the first time Jim grumbled in defeat when Joyce Byers gave him her award winning smile and got him to agree to let them all come over and to give El hand-me-downs, ( _"She can't walk around looking like a farmer forever, Hop!"_ were her exact words, noting El seemed to practically _live_ in that pair of overalls) and everyone crammed into two cars, brimming with excitement that she was really back, she was really there. Since the Snow Ball, Mike had gotten the idea to get El a present this year-a small, thin strapped and delicate silver watch for her to wear. He had given her his last year, and as cheesy as it sounded, he wanted her to have her own, to remember that day.

Not that she was his girlfriend, or anything. They kissed twice, but, it wasn't like they kissed again. Even though maybe he kind of wanted to. A little bit. 

...Maybe a lot.

Mike had found himself nearly at the end of his driveway, almost finally done with shovelling, when a noise snapped him out of his thoughts. He abruptly stopped, perking his head up and looked around. The sun had already set long ago even though it wasn't quite eight at night, the only lights around him were from the porch, the garage, and the small street light near his house. He waited in silence for a second.

_snap_

Shit. Oh, shit. It definitely sounded like something snapping. A twig? Ice on the road?

"Hello? Hello," Mike called out, nervously looking up and down the street. Too dark to make anything out. 

_snap_

Mike's heart hammered in his chest. "Who is it? Who's there?" His dropped the shovel and his right hand flew to his pocket, wrapping around the walkie-talkie to call out an S.O.S. What if it was one of the creepy lab guys? The government? A demogorgon? "Show yourself!" Mike yelled defiantly, gulping, shaking a little. His fingers felt for the button on the device, still lodged in his pocket, and he was ready to pull it out and scream, scream for help at any cost-

"Mike?"

Mike yelped, whirling around at his name being called from behind him, the walkie-talkie flying from his hand, landing softly in the snow piled next to the driveway he just cleaned up. He blinked in surprise. 

"E-El?" 

"Hi," she said softly, cheeks pink from the cold, snowflakes sticking to her eyelashes.

"You scared me," he whispered, staring at her. "What are you doing here? Where did you- **how** did you-?"

"Wanted to see you," she shrugged, smiling.

He took in the sight of her; she wearing Nancy's old knit hat and gloves that were a light blue, boots that were actually Will's at one point that looked like giant white marshmallows wrapped around her feet, and her coat-that big, puffy black coat with yellow stripes where the zippers to the pockets were- was his. He had gotten ii last March from his great-aunt when it went on sale since Spring was right around the corner, told to use it for winter, but by the time the last winter had gotten cold enough for a coat, he had started his sudden growth spurt. While it had still fit around, it was a couple inches too short in the sleeves and the hem, so he bestowed it to El to wear. She had on red plaid pyjama pants that he knew once belonged to Lucas.

"Oh," was all Mike managed to get out. "That's-I. Yeah. Wow. I wanted to see you, too." He then snapped back to reality. "Shit! El, where's Hop? He's going to kill me if he knows you're here!"

"Out. Snow tonight means he's patrolling the town to keep the travellers safe."

"And you just left? El, I **cannot** get murdered right before Christmas! We have to get you home. Let me get you home..." Mike looked at her, the snow now clinging to her hat and pieces of hair, her nose growing redder with the cold. He was _putty._

"Okay. Alright. Let me just-let me get rid of the rest of the snow, here. Then we'll get you warmed up." Mike hastily picked up the dropped shovel and the walkie-talkie, pocketing the latter, and quickly finished up the last chunks of snow in the driveway. He gently placed his hand on the back of El's cold, wet jacket and led her up the driveway to the path he made. "You have to be freezing. Why'd you only wear pyjama pants?"

"I was cozy. Didn't want to change. I've been through worse with a lot less on, Mike."

Mike frowned. He had forgotten that El had spent God only knows how long alone in the woods last winter when she came back through to this world, alone and in the snow, living off what she could. "Come on. I think we have hot chocolate we can make you."

"With marshmallows?"

"Of course," he answered, leading her up the steps. He placed the shovel back in it's spot and opened the door quietly. Music was still softly trickling from upstairs. He gently led El inside. "Nancy's upstairs, so we have to keep quiet. My parents are stuck on the other side of town for the night, so we don't have to worry about them. Let's get you out of your coat." Mike helped El remove her winter wear before removing his own, gently hanging up their coats and hats to dry on the coat rack. He grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around her. "Go on down to the fort. I'll get the cocoa ready and bring it, okay?" She nodded, looking at the walkie-talkie in his hand. 

"Still work?"

Mike glanced it over. "Still works. It's wet, but it's fine. Promise."

"I didn't mean to scare you," she said sadly.

"It's fine. Really. Nothing's broken. Now, go. I'll be right there, alright?" She snuggled herself tighter in the blanket and made her way downstairs. 

Mike hurriedly zipped to the kitchen, grabbing two mugs and filling them with water and shoving them in the microwave-he knew that it'd be loads better to actually physically boil water in the kettle, or even milk on the stove in a pan, but he wanted to make it quick as possible before Jim Hopper came barging through his home with his rifle and a scowl, wanting to know where his daughter was. He rummaged through the cupboards, grabbing the tin of cocoa and made his way over to the microwave when it beeped. Gingerly pulling the mugs out, he scooped a couple heaps of chocolate in them, grabbed a spoon from the drawer and stirred, and returned the tin to the cupboard, grabbing the marshmallows. He stuck two in his own mug, and six for El. Wrapping the bag back up, he shoved it back up on the shelf, and gently grabbed the mugs and walked slowly down to the basement.

Reaching the bottom, El popped her head out of the fort. "Marshmallows?"

"Six of them," Mike beamed, handing her the mug carefully. She softly gripped it, smiling into the liquid. Mike softly crawled in, sitting across from her, cradling his own cup. El took a cautions sip, smacking her lips after. "Good?" He inquired.

El took another sip, softly wiping her mouth clean after. "Good," she confirmed.

"Good," Mike echoed back, taking a drink himself. The ends of his hair were wet from the snow outside, as was El's, and he watched the drips fall from her onto the blanket in a quiet awe. 

She was cute. _Really_ cute.

El noticed him staring. "Are you all still coming by tomorrow for Christmas Eve?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah! As long as, you know, Hopper doesn't find out about you being here and snap my legs in half." El giggled and snuck another sip.

"He was decorating earlier, you know. For Christmas. He kept hanging up this stuff? Mistletoe? I asked what it was, and all he told me it was for Miss Byers."

Mike chuckled into his cocoa mug. "Oh, smooth, Jim," he snorted out, meeting El's confused eyes. "Oh. Uh, mistletoe is like this...plant for Christmas. You hang it up, and if you get caught standing under it, you get kissed by someone. It's kind of a tradition thing."

El cocked her head. "So, anyone can kiss you?"

"Yeah," Mike said, enthusiastically. "So he's, umm...trying to get Joyce under it to kiss her, I guess. Or the other way around."

"But, I could kiss him if he's under it?"

"Well, yeah."

"What if Max stands under it? Can I kiss her?"

Mike shrugged. "Sure."

El stared into her mug. "What about you? Do you kiss Max if she's under it?"

"What? No," Mike scoffed.

El looked puzzlingly at him. "Why not? I thought you said it's tradition?"

"It is! It's just, you know. Lucas has this whole... thing for her. It wouldn't be cool to kiss someone else's crush."

"A crush?"

"Um, you know. Someone you like." Mike explained. "More than a friend."

"But they just kissed at the dance. Does that mean Lucas has a crush on her?"

"Uhh. Well. Yeah? I mean, don't tell him I told you! But. Sort of?"

El smiled lightly. "Does that mean...you'd kiss me under mistletoe, then?"

Mike coughed into his hot chocolate, face turning crimson. "Excuse me?"

"You kissed me, so I'm your crush, right? Isn't that what you mean?"

"I-I-I well, I-it's-uh, I don't-" Mike stammered, face still burning. El placed her mug on the floor and scooted closer to Mike.

"I think you're my crush," she said simply, looking at Mike. His jaw snapped shut as she untangled an arm from the blanket around her and softly placed a hand on his cheek. "But I haven't kissed you. Can I? Is that okay? Or do I have to wait for the Christmas plant?"

"No," he said, barely finding his voice. "You can-you can-now is fine. Now is good." She leaned in closer to Mike, placing her other hand on his other cheek as she did so. Her lips were painfully close to his, and he closed his eyes, readying himself for-

" **Mike?** Mike, do you read?" The walkie-talkie squawked, making El jump away in surprise. "Mike?" The voice was Dustin's, frantic and worried sounding.

"You have to be kidding me," Mike hissed to himself, picking it up, before El grabbed it from him and placed a finger over his lips. 

"Sorry, Mike's busy at the moment," she answered.

"El? _El!_ What are you doing at Mike's?"

"Tradition," El said, grinning, and gently placed her lips on Mike's.


End file.
